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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · spell · bay · bowl · rest · track · band · pitch

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. club — for golf
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. club — a group
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. rest — a break
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — a path
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com